W&L Women's Soccer Tabbed Third in ODAC Preseason Poll

FOREST, Va. -- The Old Dominion Athletic Conference released its 2013 women's soccer preseason coaches’ poll on Wednesday afternoon and Washington and Lee was picked to finish third, receiving two first-place votes.

Lynchburg, the three-time defending ODAC champion, received 10-of-13 first-place votes on the way to 142 total points. Virginia Wesleyan sits in second place with 127 points, while Bridgewater is just one point behind W&L in fourth place. Roanoke (104) rounds out the Top 5, while Shenandoah (88), Randolph-Macon (79), Guilford (62), Emory & Henry (57), Randolph (48), Eastern Mennonite (33), Hollins (24) and Sweet Briar (15) completed the poll.

Washington and Lee will look to build on the success of last season after finishing with a 14-3-1 (10-1-1 ODAC) record and advancing to the quarterfinals of the league tournament.

Returning for the Generals are a pair of First Team All-ODAC honorees from 2012 in junior forwards Katie Rossi (Wyoming, Del./Caesar Rodney) and Katherine Rush (Cornelius, N.C./Providence Day School). Last season, the duo helped the Generals to a Top 5 conference ranking in goals (72) and assists (40). Other than Rossi and Rush, the Blue and White also returns three of its five top scorers from last season.

Defensively, W&L returns Second Team All-ODAC honoree Alexis Blight (Columbia, Md./McDonogh). A senior, Blight led the defense to 10 shutouts and a 0.59 goals-against average, which was the third-best mark in the conference.

The Generals open their season at Watt Field, playing host to Greensboro on August 30th. The game is slated to start at 2:00 pm.